WOULD it not seem that there is something wrong in the heritage which has
come down to us through history? Howsoever deep our admiration, it is impossible
not to recognize that certain elements of our constitution are the products
of brains which DREW THEIR INSPIRATION FROM THE TEACHINGS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.
To the men that made the constitution the modern anarchist might have been a
figure as monstrous as impossible. But some of the tenets of anarchy were not
wrong, in the opinion of the makers of the constitution. In fact, if seen in
the light thus thrown upon them, the principles of anarchy today are not so
extravagant.
One of th[ese] is free speech. But can there be
any such thing as absolutely free speech? If it were so, would we then stretch
out our hand to stay him who would enter our homes and poison the minds of our
half grown sons and daughters? There should be no freedom of speech in any such
unlicensed sense more than there should be freedom to handle gunpowder as any
irresponsible person may see fit. There are laws to govern the latter, and if
it be our right and duty to make laws to guard against this danger it is equally
our right and OUR DUTY TO ERECT SAFEGUARDS AGAINST THE LICENSE OF SPEECH.
But we are not prepared to expel the false prophets,
nor to muzzle free speech, nor to burn incendiary books. Treatment of this kind,
even were we prepared for it, would be essentially superficial. We must delve
deep[er] in order to find a remedy. Then we will in all probability find that
these conditions have been created by ignorance.
From all parts of the old world there is a constant
march to these shores of a class of radical socialists. They are ignorant of
our institutions and our system of government. We must have a great system of
free education, a system that will reach and enlighten the perverted minds of
all such persons of whatever age, so as to give them a true comprehension of
the principle[s] underlying our government.
AND WE MUST REPRESENT IN OUR LIVES AN EXAMPLE
OF SINCERE MANHOOD AND ENLIGHTENED CITIZENSHIP AND REFRAIN FROM SINKING INTO
LYING PHARISAISM WHICH, WHILE READY TO DENOUNCE THE WRONG, WILL NOT LIFT ITS
SMALLEST FINGER TO REMOVE IT AND ITS CAUSES.